Beckett's Fault
by Lady Of Embers
Summary: Marine wondered what made Rick change his mind about her.


She lay listening to his quiet breathing, smiling, pleased. This rugged, yet refined man was her husband, even after all they'd been through.

"I'm still awake, you know," he said to her softly. She gasped.

"I thought you were asleep!" She confessed.

"Nah. Just listening to you watching me. You're a pretty quiet woman, Marine," Rick told her. Marine smiled, linking fingers with him.

"You know, I've always wondered why you changed your mind about me," she said after a while. Rick sat up.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, when you were fourteen I was an object of ridicule. When you were fifteen I was an object of desire. What changed?" Rick was silent for several moments.

"Beckett," came his voice after a while. Marine's brow arched.

"The general?"

"Yeah. It was my fifteenth birthday, you see, and I'd convinced father to let me go with these lads I knew…"

* * *

><p>"<em>But why, papa? Why can't I go?" Rick pleaded<em>.

"_You know why!" Barked General Lance. "If you're seen around drunk with some town lads you'll soil the reputation of our family!" Rick stamped his foot like a spoilt child. _

"_I'm not a child anymore, father! I'm fifteen! Some girls are married by this age and I know plenty of boys who are working!" The General laughed. _

"_They're lower-class! Of course they must work!" Rick was silent._

"_Give me a curfew. Please. I'll do anything!" The General was deep in thought. _

"_Alright," he conceded after a while, "but only if General Beckett keeps an eye on you." Rick's lip curled. Beckett was a 'pal' of that blonde sprog, Marine Collian, and he wasn't a fan of hers._

"_As you wish, father," he said, and the door opened. _

"_Ah! Beckett! Just the man I wanted to see," said his father, addressing the young General. _

"_Yes sir?" Asked Beckett. _

"_Rick's going out with some friends. Keep an eye on him, won't you? Wouldn't want any trouble to spoil the family name," the General said. _

"_Of course, General," Beckett said smoothly. He looked at Rick and motioned to him. They went out the door and Beckett shut it. They were in the hallway now. _

"_What do you want?" Rick asked. _

"_Just because you're fifteen, young man, does not warrant any stupid behaviour. Please remember that your father has high hopes for you. Don't send them crashing around his ears. He cares for you, Rick, although he has a strange way of showing it. Just remember that," Beckett told him. Then he gestured to the front door. "Shall we?" Rick scowled, but headed out the door._

* * *

><p><em>At the river, they were waiting. <em>

"_Rick!" Bawled Charles Miggins. "Been waiting bally ages! Grandmother got SO worried! She said I'd die of cold! Come join! We're going swimming." Rick grinned, pulling off his t-shirt. They ran and jumped in. The river was warm at the evening and they had fun swimming laps and having races. _

_They climbed out and opened the hamper Owen had brought. There were sandwiches and a bit of ginger beer. Rick looked up after a while to see Beckett sitting on a bench and reading. Suddenly Owen roared. _

"_I SAY! Look over there!" He was pointing down-river. Rick made out the shape of a girl their age, stripping down to her underwear. He flushed. She dived gracefully into the river and began swimming. When she came up for air all the other boys were catcalling. _

"_Hey, beautiful! Come over here! We've got food and good company!" _

"_He's rubbish company! I'm better than he is!" _

"_Take that back!"_

"_You two! I'm better than both of you!"_

"_Don't listen to those three! I've got everything! Get over here, gorgeous!" She turned and vanished downstream. Rick didn't see her face. _

"_Who was that?" he asked. _

"_Who was that? Who was that?" Owen parroted, surprised. _

"_My dear fellow, you KNOW her!" Charles said. Rick shook his head. _

"_I've never seen her before." _

"_Rubbish! You've been pestering that girl since you two were eight!" Daniel told him. Rick got annoyed. _

"_I'm telling you, I don't recognise her!" The other four boys fell about laughing. _

"_He really doesn't recognise her! He must be BLIND!" Ronan cried. _

"_Agh! Just TELL me!" Rick yelled. _

"_IT'S MARINE COLLIAN!" guffawed Charles. "I can't believe you didn't recognise THAT!" Rick heard the sound of a book being snapped shut and turned to see Beckett bearing down on them. _

"_Time to go," he said firmly. Rick sighed. _

"_See you," he said, and walked away with Beckett._

* * *

><p><em>They walked in silence for a while. <em>

"_Grown up, hasn't she?" Beckett commented after a while. _

"_Hmm?"_

"_Marine. She's no longer a little girl. She's growing up, Rick, and she's attracting attention. More than enough. You saw your friends' reactions to her. Do you honestly want them to snap her up first?" Rick stopped._

"_What?"_

"_I saw your expression when you were watching her swim. You were star-struck. You obviously like her." Rick rubbed his eyes._

"_I'm tired," he told him. Beckett snorted._

"_Oh look, a flying distraction," he muttered. "You fancy Marine Collian. Don't try and deny it." Rick flushed. _

"_Yes, alright, she's changed. And she's very pretty. So what?" Beckett laughed. _

"_Richard Lance, get your priorities right. Pride or the girl? Honestly, you boys these days. Couldn't court a stall of meat," he told him, amused. Rick was bright red. _

"_But how do I get that across?" he mumbled. "I've been mean to her for seven years. You think she's just going to forgive me?" Beckett tossed something over his shoulder and Rick caught it. _

"_Why don't you try practising? She's almost always in Rookridge, which is rife with bandits. And who knows? She might need some help one day," he told Rick lightly. Rick looked at the object in his hands._

_It was a pistol._

* * *

><p>Marine was silent.<p>

"So, it was your atrocious friends who were catcalling me on the river that day? I did wonder…" she commented. "Fascinating."

"So it was really Beckett who helped me, you see. Otherwise I would've been too nervous or too arrogant to actually talk to you myself." Marine rolled over onto her husband. He grinned, leaning down and kissing her.

"I'd go thank him, but I think he's got enough to worry about," she told him, and tried to slide over and position herself. He noticed what she was trying to do.

"Oh, I don't think you're getting away with that," Rick told her, grinning. He flipped her onto her back and trailed kisses down her throat to her collarbone. His fingers danced along her skin, and Marine felt something harden down by her hips.

"Problem?" She gasped conversationally, sliding her fingers over his nightclothes.

"Not one you can't help me solve," he replied in an equally breathy voice. A cold breeze whipped past her ear as her nightgown was ripped from her body. Something else dropped off the side of the bed and in a few moments there was nothing to think about except the feel of his skin on hers. He was incredibly warm and really very turned on. Marine tried to switch positions- twice! -But Rick kept her firmly on her back and she resigned herself to fate. She felt something slide in and within moments she was writhing. He knew her and he knew how to please her. He looked her straight in the eyes and smiled at her glowing skin.

"Just remember, this is Beckett's fault," he reminded her.

"Of course," she whispered, and arched her back as he hit the sensitive spot.


End file.
